Iowans passionately debate collective bargaining bill in wake of governor’s signature

Feb. 19--WEST BURLINGTON -- Residents packed West Burlington City Hall Saturday, less than 24 hours after Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law across-the-board changes to the state's collective bargaining rules.

About 200 people filled the city hall chamber and hallway, demanding answers from their state lawmakers about the bills that passed out of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Senate Thursday afternoon.

State Sen. Tom Greene, R-Burlington, Rep. Dave Kerr, R-Morning Sun, and Rep. Dennis Cohoon, D-Burlington, responded to constituent questions and concerns during the legislative forum, which lasted about three hours.

Local workers from the private and public sectors voiced their displeasure with the adjustments to public employee unions' collective bargaining rights, now limited to base-wage negotiations only. Enacted in 1974, Chapter 20 of the Iowa Code established how the state, counties, cities and school boards negotiated pay increases, health insurance, overtime pay, vacation, seniority rights and other benefits.

Ryan Drew of Burlington, the business representative for Operating Engineers Local 150 and president of the Des Moines/Henry County Labor Council, argued the area's communities will be affected negatively by the change because taxpayers will not have as much disposable income to spend in town.

"You hand delivered to the middle class, to working people in this community, a pay cut," said Drew, who ran against Kerr in November as a Democrat. "We all do better together, whether I'm a small-business owner or I've got a shop, we all do better when everybody does better in our community."

Most of the dozens of people who spoke at the forum directed their questions and comments to Greene and Kerr, who voted in favor of the bills. In the Senate, votes were split along party lines, with 29 Republicans in favor of the legislation, 20 Democrats opposed and one Independent senator who also voted no. The House logged six Republican votes against the bill, including Rep. Dave Heaton of Mount Pleasant.

"I'm going to legislate and vote for the majority of Iowans, all the taxpayers, all the property owners who pay the bills," said Greene, who defeated the incumbent Democrat, Tom Courtney. "I will continue to do that. I'm going to vote for the majority of people who voted for me. People who sent me to Des Moines."

Greene said he supported the bill because he thought it "equalized" the playing field between the public and private sectors, restored more local control to the counties, cities and school boards and would save taxpayer money. One aspect of the bill he expressed regret was the amendment defining correctional officers as "public safety employees," largely exempt from changes to the law.

"I am not a union worker," said Mike Elmer of Burlington. "You don't live in a world of reality like some of us non-union people do. The bottom line is, I work for a real company, I pay real money and I'm one of the people that elected these gentlemen to do their job."

Public employees of all sectors -- from teachers, social workers and correctional officers to county recorders, maintenance workers and secondary roads shared experiences serving their communities, and how they felt disrespected in light of the new law.

"Chapter 20 works, it's always worked, it works for everybody," said Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone. "The fact is, we don't need to change it. I think it was a totally partisan thing. Your constituents said no to this, and you voted in the opposite direction."

Kerr said he received many letters and phone calls from constituents voicing support and opposition for the bill, which he described as "balanced."

"I believe this bill will give elected boards more flexibility to give back to the taxpayer their local control," he said.

Kerr later said he did what he "felt was right" and "voted the way I thought the state should go."

Brad Cranston Jr. of Burlington, an associate pastor at Heritage Baptist Church and IT programmer, called public unions "the most legal corruption in our government."

"Unions will use this power to put politicians into office, those politicians then fund their money back to the unions, and the unions always win," Cranston said.

A rural Des Moines County resident working for the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility told lawmakers correctional officers and staff are outnumbered, 90 inmates to one employee, with needs at the prison growing by the day.

"It can be a very unforgiving environment," he said, describing colleagues who suffered serious and life-threatening injuries at the hands of prisoners. "This is what we do, and don't get me wrong, we're proud to do it. But it can be a very, very unforgiving environment to be in."

Cohoon described the past week as one of the most difficult in his 31 years as a representative.

"The bill that we did this past week, to me is just devastating in terms of what it does to state employees in the state of Iowa," said the former teacher.

EGGS AND ISSUES

At the Greater Burlington Partnership earlier, chamber of commerce members gathered for their monthly forum with Greene, Kerr and Cohoon.

Much of the conversation centered on Iowa's transition 10 months ago to Medicaid managed care, and how it has affected local health care providers.

Michael McCoy, chief medical officer at Great River Medical Center, delivered a presentation on the challenges the hospital has faced since the new system was put in place, and what he sees as the future of health care providers and benefits.

Of the three managed care organizations working with Great River Health Systems, McCoy said only one has reimbursed the hospital's long-term care facility for the services it has provided, and it paid only one month of what it owed the hospital. Another group paid the Klein Center through September, but in the wrong amounts.

"The time and effort and energy spend administratively to try to get the amount of money you're supposed to get has been really difficult," McCoy said.

During the hour-long forum, the lawmakers also look questions from the group and addressed major pieces of legislation still to come in the session.

All agreed the next dramatic legislative battle likely will be over Planned Parenthood and whether the Legislature should turn down federal money for child and family health care services to create their own state-run program.

Senate File 2 passed 30-20 in the Iowa Senate earlier this month. It now goes to the House, where if passed, would head to Branstad's desk for approval.

The next Eggs and Issues forum will be 7:30 a.m. March 18 at the Greater Burlington Partnership for chamber of commerce members and their employees. A legislative forum for the public will follow, at 9 a.m. in West Burlington City Hall.

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